Timeless
by Tonitantei-san
Summary: A ShinRan fiction. Everything returned to normal, but the B.O is still at large. Is it really okay to run around and continue his normal life? Rated T. rating may change because of the contents of the future chapters.
1. Nightmare

A/N: Since I haven't been producing fan fictions in a while because of school, as my common reason, with a hint of GTA gaming and some other stuff, well this is my chance to once again publish one.

This fan fiction will contain 12 chapters and that's final. This is actually a challenge from a friend who likes AiCon pairing but requested a ShinRan centered fiction. What a weird person -.-, but I love that person. A little weird at some point, I know.

Anyways, hope you guys stay with me until 12 chapters are finished and hope you all like it. Don't forget to review by the way ^^.

**DISCLAMER: I don't own Detective Conan. It belongs to Gosho Aoyama and his other colleagues or associates that created over 600 episodes… and counting.**

**Chapter 1: Nightmare**

~O~

Just like every morning, she wakes up; her ears bleeds because of her dad whining like a 7 year old child or something much worse asking for a quick breakfast as he is starving to death. Geez, Conan is way more mature compare to him in some occasions. Anyway, woke up then fix breakfast for her dad. First hurdle, done.

After doing her morning household chores, which she by the way loves to do, she started to get ready for school. Stepping out their front door was much of a challenge to Ran knowing that Shinichi is not going walk with her as he is still 'missing'. Her life has been in a cycle for months, still because of Shinichi's absence. She can at least manage to stay focus at her every class in school, talk with her 'girl' friends, particularly Sonoko. But her day will not be completed without, at least, taking small glances at Shinichi's empty desk with sad worried eyes.

~O~

The wind blew her hair back and forth as she leans on a big, beautifully grown tree right on top of the hill. The weather is typically calm and sunny. Ah, a perfect day to have a walk in a park or better, rest under a beautiful tree. She sits down, holding her hair, so the wind will not mess it up. Her beautiful face in which every guy would die for, is calm and radiant, as if it is not facing any sadness in her, at all. Minutes have passed. She closed her eyes for a moment, and opened it quickly enough to get a glance of a man-like silhouette approaching her position. She tried to illuminate the figure while it's getting closer. Ran stood up, as the man's figure is becoming familiar. It's her childhood best friend that took off without a word; all he does is call, and now appearing out of nowhere, Shinichi Kudou. Mixture of relieve, happiness and anger burst out inside her. She wants to punch him and give him a lesson that he could never forget, but changed her mind as he drew closer to her. There's worry on her face now. The mixture becomes one, and it's all sadness.

The gloominess, pain, and hardship that he's been carrying all on his own is shown clearly by his lean, bruised, weak body. _'What's going on?' _She questioned herself that obviously cannot be answered just yet. She wanted to help him, but she's stuck. Someone or something is holding her and preventing any movement she will make. The fair, beautiful weather become dark. It's like going to rain so hard with loud thunder claps and sharp lightning. And it had begun. The rain came pouring down to them. Is it just the two of them or there is or rather, ARE with them at that particular moment? Shinichi is curling with pain in front of her. Why the hell can't her body move, neither her voice won't come out even she shouts as loud as she can manage. She looked behind her and there's a kid holding her. Not too tight to prevent her movements, at all, but unfortunately it did. '_Let go of me. I have to help him!' _She begged, but still no sound. The boy looks familiar. Does this day couldn't get scarier? It's her 7 year-old 'adoptive' brother Conan.

"Don't Ran-neechan. You'll be in grave danger!" The boy warned her with a zombie-like tone that is creepy enough to make a normal person run like hell. But Ran did the opposite. Her mind keeps telling her to run away from his 'tight' grasp, but her body won't obey. That's not the only main reason she can't or won't move, it's also the fact that she's worried why he is there and wanted to unravel the truth behind this whole 'Don't, or you'll be in danger' kind of fiasco. Still in confusion, she couldn't help turning her attention to Shinichi once more. Surprisingly, two men, a guy that is tall, scary looking, who wears a long black coat with a black hat above his beautifully down, long white hair, and smoking a cigarette, and another guy who wears a black blazer and trousers, also with a black hat and sun glasses, smiling like a psychopathic maniac. Little Ran did know, these two are the reasons why is Shinichi is in peril. Obvious enough to recognize, she once again weep, but the sound is being resistant.

The two men began to do something to him. The tall guy pulled out a gun and pointed at his head, while the other punches him like there's no tomorrow. His beautiful face, one of his price possessions, is ruined. Still helpless, Ran just watched him bleed, bruise, and whimper. She watched them, with tearful eyes and shocked expression. Her body felt light at one moment. The kid loosens his grasp and started to run away, nobody knows the reason why. She can finally move. She stood up and started to run towards Shinichi to save him, but it's too late. Both men in black clothes had already taken him away in a dark hallway, wide enough for them to walk through. Every step they make, Ran can hear little mischievous chuckles from both men. She managed to catch up with them. That's when everything gets worse!

She reached the end of the hallway, in which it immediately lit up everything. She can see everything again, and a part of her just tells that she shouldn't have seen everything again. She should've listened to the boy who held her a while ago. Her entrance is too noticeable for the two men. They both turned to her direction, smiling like they're going to eat her alive. Well, the truth is they'll not. Instead, they will kill her using those guns.

"Aniki, I think we have another pest here!" one of the men in black clothing said.

The long haired one smiled, not heartily, but evilly. "Heh. I know. I'm not blind. I think we can still have a room for this lady. Beside him!"

She really should've listened to him! She's really in grave danger as she stood before them. She started to shiver when the one of them walks up to her.

"Aniki, should I go first or should you?" he asked his partner while pointing a gun on her forehead. She's immobilized,again. She felt stupid and useless. She's the champion in karate for effin's sake, and she can't even move a finger and teach the guy in front of him a lesson that he could never, ever, ever forget in his entire life!

"ANIKI!"

"Shut up! I'm getting a good aim for this guy so it's instant." He continued to aim for Shinichi's head and finally pulled the trigger. One bullet on his head and Shinichi Kudou, the renowned high school detective of the east, was history.

"NOO!" Ran finally found her voice but it's too late. She shoved the guy in front of him and ran frantically to Shinichi. She cried beside him as hard as she can, but she knew about the fact that how hard and how long she'll cry beside him, her tears would and never could bring him back.

"A perfect spot don't you think, Vodka?" The taller guy said while 'admiring' the scene in front of him. But Ran couldn't care less. She would rather shoot herself right now, but she thinks that someone would do it for her. It's like in Romeo and Juliet, the only difference is someone will do it for her.

"I couldn't agree more, Aniki." The other guy laughed, points the gun at her and then…

~O~

"AHH!"

His daughter's scream woke up his sleepy mind. "RAN!" He let his 'paperworks' on his desk scatter all over the floor. Who cares about it anyway? It's not even a real paper work. With worry, he hurriedly ran to his only daughter's room, surprised with the scene he's seeing in front of him. It's her, usually strong daughter, now in cold sweat, shivering and crying her heart out.

He wanted to ask her why she screamed, but it's not a good time to talk about it is the first thing that came into mind. He walked to her bed, sat down and hugged her. "Everything's gonna be all right. Don't worry. Whatever it is, it's just a nightmare."

~chapter 1: Nightmare ends here~

_A/N: Oh man, that is one dark fiction I can tell you that. Sorry I have to kill them. I just wanted to make an expression ^^_

_Anyways, so yeah this is the first chapter which has a totally blunt plot but I think I can still make this work. ^^ Hope everything's _ _good. Please review,. Thanks.._

_Pray for Japan! _


	2. Fear

_A/N: Laziness. Sorry.._

**DISCLAMER: I don't own anything. I just borrow them.**

**Chapter 2: Fear**

Ever since that nightmare occurred to me, it never leaves me. Every night my dad walks up to my room almost ran out of his breath with worry on his face even he's as drunk as he ever been. I always woke up with cold sweat, if I managed not to scream that night, and always crying. That stupidly, horrifying nightmare doesn't just ruins my sleeping time, it also ruins the day ahead of me. I can get up as usual but the kitchen and everything around the house is not the same. Every time that I walk up to the kitchen it's dark even though the light is on. I can picture that dark hallway in my nightmare. Whenever I make dinner with fresh ingredients that contains blood, I began to shiver. A cold wind touches the back of my neck even though there's none. My daily routine has never been the same again. I can't go to school without being struck by fear of getting shot by someone who wears a long coat or just something black, even if it is daytime! My concentration on studying and karate practice was affected as well. Every single I walk to school with lack of sleep, still because I'm afraid of having the same nightmare all over again.

~O~

School was twice or trice as hard to get through. With the disappearance of Shinichi already made it harder but by this thought that is lingering inside my head and calculating the possibility that it may be true, I can't even say what's on my mind right now. I never went home early before, but then again the stupid nightmare changed it. I can't stay outside after sun down, you know the damn reason.

~O~

Weeks after weeks, dad is not getting less worried about my condition. He finally called mom to stay with us for a bit to take care of me when he's gone doing 'police' work. One night my mom experienced more shouting and crying from me. It was the most horrible nightmare than my previous ones. This time it actually involves killing even my mom and dad. I heard the silver haired guy said something about: _They knew something about us. They have to be silenced as well. _More people are getting involved every night I sleep.

"What's wrong? What happened?" My mom immediately asked and held me as tight as she could manage.

"They're going to kill you and dad!" I cried.

"Shh, shh. They're not going to lay a finger on neither of you, me, or dad. Don't worry about it." She comforted me but it did not take any of the feelings I'm feeling at that time. "Go back to sleep." She said but I protested. I think I finally hit the wall hard that time.

"NO! I DON'T WANT TO SEE ANY BLOOD or PEOPLE CLOSE TO ME THAT ARE BEING KILLED MOM! I DON'T WANNA SEE THEM ANYMORE!" I shouted at my mom. I don't have any idea why I did that.

~O~

The next morning, I saw them at the dining table talking with serious face on. I want to ask what's up but that would be stupid. Of course it's about me. And they're maybe thinking that I'm going crazy and they wanted me to get psychological exam or something. I think being a psychic wouldn't be a bad idea because what they did was the same from I was thinking. They took me to a doctor. They took some crazy test and the result was not bad as we thought. I am still normal apparently. Maybe I was just a little tired and that's all they said but my parent were not actually convinced. They took me to another doctor and we talked about my dream. He said that it was pretty scary which it actually is, and gave me a prescription medicine. Just to take my worries away and the nightmare just as well.

I've been taking them for a month a now and it is actually surprisingly amazing. I can sleep properly, eat, and I'm not that scared anymore. I returned to my old self. I can kick ass twice as hard in karate practice too. I think I've been taking too much of them haven't I?

~O~

But sometimes I can't just keep my thoughts away from fear, the word and the feeling of it. I've never exactly felt like that even on championships or jumping into a murder scene or seeing a ghost! I questioned myself every time those events came cross with me. '_Am I really that scared of them?' In _which I always found my answer, no. That was really the first time I've ever felt fear. The fear of people you wouldn't even have time to find out who they are kill those people who are closest to you. It strangles you to death and drives you crazy that can make you end your own life if another big hit on the 'wall' happen. I wanted to ask 'him' if he ever felt fear, but I couldn't get through. He might be busy, like he always does.

~O~

I stopped locking myself at home and started to go out walking after those months. As I walk downtown to do some walking as well as window shopping with Sonoko just like normal, but there's nothing normal today. I saw HIM! I saw Shinichi walking with a blonde haired guy, a black haired one which almost look like him only with a messier hair, and a guy that looks like Hattori-kun walking inside one of the shops. I thought I was just imagining things because Kazuha-chan never called me about them or just hattori-kun coming over to Japan. I wanted to follow them to make sure that was really him that I saw, or better yet, get over his house tonight.

~to be continued~

_A/N: I almost lost the will to write stories -.- Thanks for Del-neechan's advise ^^ She's the best. _

_Anyway, this is obviously based on Ran's POV and also the guys with Shinichi are obviously Gosho's guys. Try to figure out their names *evil laugh* which I think you guys knew so there's no point of me being 'secrety-ish' XD.. _

_Thanks for the lovely reviews I received ^^. Keep on reading my stories and don't forget to review. _

_-Quarter of Silence wohoo!- _

_Hi __**GAGS ^^**_


	3. Come Back

_A/N: Since my sister nicked the charger out of me I'm going to update right now._

**DISCLAMER: I don't own anything. I just borrow them. **

**Chapter 3: Comeback**

"Hey Kudo, what're you going to do now?" Heiji asked while walking with his group consisting him, Shinichi, Saguru, and Kaito. He seems to be a little lost with his thoughts and completely ignored his question. He continued to walk hands stuffed in his pockets with lost image in his eyes.

"Is he still breathing?" Joked Kaito.

"Why would you ask that? He's walking beside you idiot." Saguru replied with irritation and sighed.

"Why are you so mean today Sagu-chan?" chirped Kaito like a child to mock his friend. The baby talk already annoyed the hell out of Saguru but it's not enough for him. Everyone in the group knows that Kaito is a little playful but this time it's really embarrassing. He climbed over Saguru and kisses him on his cheeks, in public! Everyone looked at them with giggles in between whispers. They even heard a couple of teenagers said; _'Oh how cute' _while giggling they're way pass the group. A vein pooped on Saguru's temple. The 'all so cool' and said to be 'calm' Hakuba Saguru raised his both hands up in the air to lose Kaito's grip to his body and shouted at him at the top of his lungs.

"TEME!" his face turned red not only because of the embarrassment but also with anger. He chased Kaito who's going in circles and laughing. Same goes for Heiji. The thing was, after the ruckus the two had made, Shinichi was still in the same position; lost in his thoughts, speechless.

Heiji glanced to Shinichi and mock him slightly by sniggering.

"Aho." He whispered not too loud and not too soft, but surprisingly woke Shinichi up. Shinichi looked at him, narrowing his eyes that obviously say the phrase '_what the hell are you saying?' _

"You're unbelievable." Heiji scoffed.

"What? What did I do this time? I'm not doing anything over here. You're the one who's unbelievable!" Shinichi protested with all his might, but Heiji did not submit.

"No you are." He answered back arguing with him like little kids.

"What th—"

"After all those ruckus that those two children made you didn't flinched or even blinked, but when I whispered that you're an idiot, you came out of your La-la land like a dog who just got beaten in a fight with a damn kitten! That's why you're stupidly UNBELIVABLE!" He shouted at his ears and knocked his brains out. Shinichi almost knocked down on his feet when he heard Heiji. He admits to himself that his kansai-ben best friend was right. He's unbelievable and he doesn't even remember why he was in his far away land. He sighed; the sigh of defeat and let himself sunk to a bench while Heiji joined him.

"You finally with us?" Saguru approached them while holding Kaito's collar dragging him like a dog with a huge red glowing lump on his head and do a little bit crying like a baby. The boys in the bench looked at them.

"The question is, are _you_ finally with us?" Heiji retorted raising an eyebrow.

"I hate to be rude Hattori-kun but I wasn't talking to you." He opposed.

"Woah there buddy. Giving Kaito a light bulb that he'll bear for many hours is not enough for taking away all your anger, is it?"

"Shut up," Saguru gritted his teeth and gave a sharp look at the tanned teenager. Shinichi laughed silently but Heiji heard it anyway.

"I assume that you're feeling great, Shincihi-kun?" Saguru repeated his previous question and Shinichi gave a nod as a response. The rest looked at each other and began to get worried. Kaito dusted himself while Saguru helped him stand up. They stood in front of Shincihi as well as Heiji.

"Still worried what would be your girlfriend's reaction?" asked Kaito while flashing a small smile.

"She's not my girlfriend, y-yet." Shinichi replied, blushing. "and yeah, I'm worried. She's unpredictable you know. She's like a pregnant who's having mood swings. Only, it's very too often. And besides I caused too much sadness when I was 'away'."

"But you want to talk to her right? To repay the times you're not with her?" Heiji reminded him and another silent nod for a response with faint pink blush on his cheeks. Shinichi is avoiding his friends' gaze so they can't see right through him. He's the greatest young detective all right, but when it comes to this kind of topic, he's as thin as paper and everyone specially the ones who are close to him can read him like an open book. He's poker face can be broken easily unlike Kaito's.

He feels uncertain about Ran's reaction will be. It's not that he's being a coward or anything but the guilt of leaving her because of his selfish obsession to shady cases that tingle his curiosity in every way. He's the one, who doesn't want her to cry, but he's the one causing it and it hurts him. He's never been so close to ran before until he became Conan. On some reasons, he liked being Conan as far as his feelings concerns. It's not the bathing together moments is the greatest part of being a 7 year-old child who intentionally have the brain of a 17 year-old teenager, but it's the 'power' that can mend Ran's sorrow that he's other half actually caused. For some reasons, he's thinking about staying as her adoptive brother, because Conan and not Shinichi, was the one who makes her happy while he was gone. But he needed to come back so he'll be the one who can her happy. He promised to himself, that if this day comes, he's not going to leave her side. She don't have to cry, she don't have to worry what the hell will happen to him. And most importantly, he will finally tell her how he loves her dearly since the day he called her by her first name.

"Kudo?"

"Shinichi?"

"Shinichi-kun?" Heiji, Kaito, and Saguru was once again left by Shinichi. They tried to snap him out of his thoughts, by waving their hands in front of his face and snapping their fingers.

"He's hopeless." Heiji sighed. "There's only one thing that can bring him back."

"What?" The rest asked in unison. Heiji winked at them while holding his left hand up and ready to slap out Shinichi's brain. He swung his arm towards his head then Shinichi stood up, facing the opposite side where Heiji stood.

"All right. It's useless being an emo. I'm going to tell her everything! I'm Shinichi Kudo, I'm not a coward!" He jumped loud and proud making Heji's slap miss so bad that he face planted onto the ground, but the 'all too-happy-to-care' Shinichi did not know what happened and sheepishly asked, "What the hell are you doing down there Hattori?" Kaito and Saguru on the other hand were breathless and having stomach aches while they tried not to laugh at Heiji's funniest position they'd ever seen.

"What's so funny?" Shinichi turned to them and tried to point him to Heiji who's cursing under he's breathe. Shinichi sniggered and burst out laughing in the end.

"Aitsu!"

~O~

"Damn you! Why did you stood up!" Heiji's shouted at Shinichi while rubbing one side of his tanned face.

"Haha, oh man, you should look at your face as well as your position. It's so funny!" Shinichi just ignore his angry friend and continue to laugh at his face until they reached Kudo's mansion. "Yeah, I totally agree. I never laughed that hard before Hattori-kun." Saguru continued and followed by Kaito's insulting laugh.

Shinichi led their way in by unlocking the gate and then the front door. Shinichi stopped.

"What's wrong?" Heiji asked.

"It's open."

"Huh?" The 3 of them exclaimed and looked at each other. Shinichi opened the door and they followed. Everything was dark inside his house like usual and there seems nothing was missing or stolen which was the opposite of what they actually expected. They split and look for something suspicious in every room of the mansion. Nothing seems unusual as well. '_Odd. I locked the door before we left.' _Shinichi thought while he's about to go upstairs.

'_Hmm!' _Shinichi heard something rather the opposite on what they actually hear or see downstairs.

"Kudo, there's nothing here. Everything's the same."

"All right, thanks."

"What's wrong, Shinichi-kun?" Saguru asked "You look,"

"Constipated?" sniggering with his interruption a vein on Saguru's white foreign colored forhead popped out bigger than usual.

"Shut…..UP!" a fist of fury dropped on Kaito's for the second time of the day from, of course Hakuba Saguru that Kaito had already pisses off earlier. Heiji and Shinichi can't help but to smile and hide their snigger while they continue to walk upstairs in the library. Before they even reached the hallway upstairs of Kudo's mansion, Shinichi who's leading their way bumped into a person, who apparently not a cat burglar, a person who knew the whole house and unlock the door without using any bobby pin or a wire – a person who Shinichi, his parents, and even Professor Agasa trust with the key to the house, Ran Mouri. Heiji, Kaito, Saguru, jaw dropped from what their seeing, even Shinichi and Ran. They never realize that they will bump to each other on his house. The whole group including Ran is speechless and immobilized. Someone tried to say something but all they could do is to move their mouth up and down and did not touch the bottom lip.

Heiji finally found his voice and began to speak. "Well, today's is pleasant nice to be with you Kudo and I think we'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah, it's getting pretty late." Saguru and Kaito agreed and began to walk outside the door. Shinichi gave them a silent nod of agreement and also an 'I call you guys later' nod. The 4 them are pretty close than everyone could imagine since Shinichi came back to normal. They planned to help him with his 'revenge' to the Black Organization.

"Umm, so…" Shinichi tried to stat speak but he, himself is shaking inside, heart pounding, cold sweat running to his temple, and pale; paler than Saguru. This is now what he's planning to do. He wants to surprise her, not her surprising him. At least he wanted the surprise to be a romantic one like inviting her over to dinner to a romantic restaurant—not in Beika Hotel, he thinks that place is curse because of the cases that he and his dad in counter the same day when he tried to tell his feelings to Ran. He scratched his left cheek— signs of nervousness and uneasiness that the scene is giving him. He noticed Ran lowered her head letting her hair covered her eyes. Shinichi regained his posture of seriousness and worry. He stuffed his pocket left pocket with his left hand, while his right hand reached her chin and cupped it. He raised it with love and gentleness in order for him to look at her and tries to read her eyes. Just like he usually do as a detective and it was her that gave him the idea about deducing her feelings during their fight in London. The moment that their eyes met each other, Ran's eyes are heavy with tears. Shinichi wiped her tears away and smiled heartily.

"I don't want you to cry anymore, so I came back. I hope that answer your question." He continued to smile at her direction. Her eyes widened and her cheeks are painted with reddish-pink color.

"Ho-w,"

"Your eyes says it all, baro. I'm a detective and I can always tell what people eyes' say. And besides I know you. I can read you like an open book", a long pause "and I can deduce what's inside your heart." It's his turn to blush. He finally realized his owns feeling for her and this is the time to say it. Both of their waiting finally paid off.

"You me- mean that.."

"Yeah. I..", he coughed and whispered his words. He's not use to this kind of conversation especially to Ran.

"What?" The pounding of her heart reduced and the atmosphere changed into a romantic one to confusing one. The music that they both hear even there's actually none was paused and then stopped. Ran face fell. Shinichi removed his hand on her face began to once again scratch a part of his beautiful face, not taking off his gaze on his right side.

"I said, I l-" he whispered and mumbled once again and his face is absolutely burning.

"What?"

"I love you." After a big deep breath he finally said it. But unfortunately for him, it's too whisper like for Ran to hear. The same question that Ran has been asking for 4th time is starting to irritate him.

"What? I didn't quite here that Shinichi."

"I said, I LOVE YOU RAN MOURI! WHAT PART OF THE THINGS THAT I HAVE SAID IS NOT CLEAR ENOUGH FOR YOU! Do you want me to spell it for you ha? All right I will I-L-O-V-E-Y-O-U! What else do I have to do to make you understand those 3 bloody words?" He finally erupted. His words echoed through the whole house. For him, those words are too hard to say. It sounds cooler in his head than saying it for real. He huff to catch his breath. A long pause between them two before one actually said something.

"You love me?" Ran asked him once again.

"Don't make me shout it again. I feel like I'm going to faint. Whoo!"

Ran laughed while looking directly at him. Shinichi raised a brow. "What's so funny?"

"I just never thought that you could say it, tantei-san."

"Be thankful. You can now tell that I'm human and I can feel." He retorted sarcastically making both of them laugh and have a great time.

'_This is definitely the best welcome home gift I've ever received.'_

~O~

_A/N: The spell I love you thing was not an original idea believe me. ^^_

_Anyway, obviously enough, this is where they will started to date as an official couple so yeah. Next chapters will be like lovey-dovey ^^ and you'll see something that I would never thought that day would come. -.- hope you all like it._

_And by the way, thanks reading this and review ^^. See you next time.. ^^_


	4. Getting Along Well

**DISCLAMER: I don't own the characters that are involve in my fan fiction. **

**Chapter 4: Getting Along Well**

_Heiji: Hi there. As you guys just read Kudo was returned to normal and a bit nervous on how he suppose to tell neechan what had happen to him maybe as well as Conan if he can still remember about his small half._

_Kaito: Yeah what he said. He clearly was. He did not even gave a smack when I said that he looks weird that time at the park, it's all because of Saguru here!_

_Saguru: Shut up! Ignore them. Anyway, Hattori-kun is right. But from the moment we reached his mansion Mouri-san was inside his house. We let ourselves out of the way so they could talk and as from what we heard so far, we think it's going pretty well._

~O~

"So can I have my long awaited hug now?" Shinichi said with open arms signaling an obvious movement. Ran looked at him starting from his upper body down to his feet. Shinichi followed her gaze looking confuse. He raised a brow, "What?"

"You're too confident, aren't you?" The laugh faded into a weak smile- too weak to even tell it was an actual smile. Shinichi's face fell as well as his arms. A complete silence envelops them once again. Everyone, even the eavesdropper outside, except Ran actually thought everything will go well after his confession, but they were all wrong. Nobody has got a clue on what went wrong and they're all waiting for a decent answer or even just a clue, until Ran speak up with the answer they're waiting for.

"I'm not rejecting you or something. I hope you understand that Shinichi—" Shinichi cut her off.

"I do understand you. I know I'm a bit blunt about this but—" Ran stood closer at him, closer than before. The chorus of their heartbeat began to grow louder, an obvious sign of nervousness and the feeling of rejection, was it? That's what Shinichi's heart beats. But Ran has no intention to reject him at all. The confession before was the thing she wanted to hear for long, long time and she finally heard it from him personally and not from a stupid cellular contact. Her inside feels a stir, it sort of like turning around. Her brain says 'don't ask' but her heart says 'go'. She lifts her finger slowly into his lips and presses it lightly. She drew even closer to his face feeling her warm, loving breath on his cheeks making his face burn like never before and let out a little moan, at least inside his thoughts. She lowered her head, and then she mumbled words that Shinichi quite hear.

"Erm…"

"I want to know the truth." She said with a fragile, teary voice.

'_Ran.'_ He's pierced by her words. He knows the answer to her every question regarding his disappearance but he could not find the right words to explain it. The words are stuck in his throat. Like a big hindrance that he wanted to get out, for his own relief. Easier thought than done.

He moved his hands from its stillness. He grabbed Ran's hands and holds it down, massaging the top of her hands using his two thumbs. He felt a wet drop on top of his left hand. "Please…" Shinichi said sadly and pulled her into a hug. Ran did not resist but continue to cry.

"Just tell me." She said with a trailing voice that makes his heart broke into small pieces that are quite impossible to mend with "sorry" and "I promise I won't do it again". But he'll try to mend with his explanation whatever the result will be.

He took a deep breath with trembling sound echoing from his mouth. He bowed his head until he reach the side of her head near her ear and began to whisper the truth with tears threatening to slip out of his eyes. He hugged Ran even tighter.

"The time I left you in Tropical Land, that's where everything started." He paused, "I was force fed by this poison that suppose to kill me but instead... I turned into a seven-year old child, Conan Edogawa." Shinichi felt a sudden movement of tremble or shock against his body. He admits that telling even hurts him, as he knew everything that he'd done for the past years was all been a lie- at least not what he's saying right now.

The deafening silence was once again hit the hallway where they stood, hugging and explaining, then he continue to speak after a small sob from Ran.

"I have been there. Every day, every case I face as Conan. The times that you had suspected me, you're not wrong."

"AND you didn't tell me everything, but instead you lied?" Ran replied whispering against his shoulder. "Why? WHY?" She half shouted while sobbing harder.

"I… I.." He got nothing. He loosened his hug but Ran did not. She stayed. "I want an answer. Just the truth."

"I don't know.. but please believe me, I love you…" He answered with a loving tone. He took the risk in kissing her on her lips that he's been waiting to touch using his. He's expecting a painful punch or kick but instead she's kissing him back, lovingly.

_End of chapter 4…_

_A/N: Crap I'm running out of ideas… Anyway, sorry for the late updates. I just don't feel like writing this, because of the fact that it's ShinRan but oh well. This needs finishing! Wohoo!_

_So yeah next chapter will be a really different type of story. It is not what I usually write. Hehe.._


	5. The Public Announcement

_A/N: A rush chapter. Sorry about this long update. It's just I can't work on this plot . Hope you like this. _

**Disclamer: I don't own Detective Conan.**

**Chapter 5: The Public Announcement **

"Hey, do you guys wanna stick around longer?" Heiji asked the two teenagers on his left and right side listening to conversation Ran and Shinichi having. 'They can't miss this' that was the first thing they have thought after the 4 of them bumped into her a couple of minutes earlier that night. Aside from the 'need' to know the story first, they wanted to see how things will work out between them—something '_cheesy.'_

Saguru was the first one to protest. "Not me. I heard enough anyway." He sighed followed by a jump in order to stand up, while the Heiji and Kaito didn't glance at the fellow but continue to peep on the couple inside the mansion having their "private time", locked lips.

Kaito waved his left arm, signaling Saguru to sit down and don't go yet, still not removing his sight on the gap of the door. "Come on. Saguru. It's getting FRENCH!" Kaito raised his voice causing it to echo inside distracting the couple but chose to ignore the noise and began to move away from the staircase to somewhere else.

"It's getting FRENCH!"Heiji shouted angrily. "What the hell!"

"Woah. Chill man. What are you so angry about?" Kaito sheepishly asked while staring at Heiji's red face with his poker face slash childish expression, thus, pissing him off like hell.

"Seriously Heiji-kun? You're getting so uptight because he ruined the 'show' for you? You're such a perv. I'm going home." Saguru makes everything seems easy to explain. Heiji knows that the guy has a point and did not say a word. While Saguru leads the way, Kaito and Heiji followed him 5 steps behind him apologizing to Kaito because of the yelling—and Kaito seem alright with it.

"Give them privacy. They miss each other you know that." Saguru added with a low sympathetic tone with a sympathetic expression to go with it. As for their agreement, they let a whisper-like 'yeah' and a small nod with a small smile.

~O~

_~Back at the Kudo's mansion~_

They moved away from the staircase where amidst of darkness and moonlight ate them, in a good way and the way they would prefer. The silence was also there. Both sides of the half-dark, half-moonlit corridor, made the whole scene romantic for Shinichi and Ran. They chose to ignore the noises coming from outside the door. But they had enough after Kaito shouted French out loud. Even they were embarrassed.

Their lips were parted when they walked away from the boys'. Shinichi chuckled and led her to the mansion lounge to sit down and talk about what really happened to him in full detail.

This is not new to both of them. They've done this every now and then when one of them is not like their self; the lounge is their base of comfort— less the really intimate and close moment.

~O~

_Ran was 7 years old and her parents have been fighting continuously and ended up living separately. Ran was not in her cheerful self for a long time after that. Shinichi and Ran have been best friends and he knew her better._

_Every single day with her is suppose to be trouble for Shinichi with his constant teasing and whatever he could find commendable to her appearance or behavior. Despite that, he knew about how to be a good friend especially to her._

_One day after school, they were on their walk home together but this time is not their 'usual' thing. The moment is awkward. Ran's focus is nowhere on where they were heading and Shinichi, focused only on Ran. His eyes were full of worry and curiosity. _

"_Doshite, Ran?" He asked with a low voice and blushing a little. She didn't even flinch or sigh as a reply and Shinichi 'deduced' that there's something really wrong. They continue to walk in silence until they reached Shinichi's mansion. _

"_Ran, stay for a while. I'll ask my mom to prepare a snack." Shinichi said cheerfully trying to get her attention. She barely nod, but he dragged her through the door where they past Yukiko giggling. _

"_Ran-chan, what do you want?" Yukiko half giggled when she asked Ran but she got the same reply just like Shinichi—nothing._

"_Mom, why don't you just get us something to drink? Anything you could get will be fine." Shinichi said. It's not a hint as far as Shinichi is concerned, but Yukiko totally understood those words as that. She didn't say a word and vanish through the arch through the kitchen. _

_Ran is still staring in blank. No tears, no whimper, no anything, just her shaky sighs every once in awhile. Shinichi leaned to see her face. Nothing. He rested his back on the soft couch and sighed. "You can cry you know. It's just me in here. I won't make fun of you." He said with a concern tone. Ran turned her gaze to Shinichi and he is looking straight at her with an I-mean-it look on his face. Ran was puzzled for a moment, but that's what she needs. She's been holding it for too long to bear anymore. Though she didn't say a word a reply, she hugged little Shinichi tightly and started crying against his shirt. Shinichi did not flinch. He let her cry and wait till she stops. He put his arms around her and whispered "Everything's gonna be alright. I promise." _

_It was their first intimate moment together. But they were too young to know. Yukiko was leaning to the arch pillar and watched her son to comfort his best friend. It was the sweetest thing that her son ever did for the first time. She absorbed the moment, until the children fell asleep. Ran is using Shinichi as a pillow while Shinichi hugs her loosely. _

~O~

"You still remember that?" Asked ran while her head is laid to Shinichi's chest.

"Mm-hm. You look like an idiot back then." Shinichi chuckled while caressing her hair.

"You're the idiot."

"Nice come back." Shinichi teased and Ran did not reply. "Too tired to reply?" he asked against her hair.

"No. Just thinking."

"About what?"

"If we're official." Ran felt Shinichi's gulp. She chuckled a little. "What's with the gulp?"

"Uhm, the word official choked me a bit." He honestly replied.

"Scared of dad?" She grinned.

"Is it wrong to say yes?" He laughed nervously. He knows that Kogoro will not bother about him. But being Conan Edogawa, he learned that he is one of the Kogoro's hit list not because he's stealing his 'thunder' as a detective but because of leaving Ran for no apparent reason.

"Come on, don't be afraid of him. He'll be happy to see you." Ran said cheerfully.

He gulped again. "Trust me, he won't."

"At least give it a try. For me. Please?" She pleaded. She puts her own pleading remark that Shinichi will never say no to.

'_Oh crap! I can't say no to that face! Why would she do that?' _Shinichi stared at her cute pleading face before giving. He groaned "Oh! What the hell. All right I'll do it. But if my face gets squashed by your dad's judo skills and I won't be as gorgeous as I am now, you're the one to blame." He glared and smiled. "I'll be at your house tomorrow morning. I need to study how to block judo attacks." He did not joke that time. He's going to learn some defense!

Ran laughed. "Nope."

"What?" His voice almost broke when he spoke.

"You don't have to wait until tomorrow. You're going home with me."

"Please tell me you're joking?"

"Do I look I'm joking?"

"It's hard to tell. My vision had gone bad for some reasons."

She chuckled. "Come on. You're going to walk me home anyway."

Shinichi just sighed. "I'll go get my coat and a first aid kit." He whispered his last phrase before disappearing to the dark corridor.

~O~

"Dude I'm gonna be dead. DEAD I tell ya!" Shinichi shouted over the phone.

"Kudo just calm down. I still want my hearing!" Hattori shouted back at his friend while walking with Kaito and Saguru on their way home.

"Speakerphone, speakerphone!" Kaito eagerly whispered to Heiji which he obeyed immediately.

"What's happening to you?" Heiji continued.

"We're heading to her house right now. She wants her father to know about us."

The three of them are sniggering. "Isn't that good? I mean you guys are going to be official. You're not hinting a next step after that, are you?" Hakuba half teased.

"It's not that. I'm on his…"

"His what?" Kaito asked.

"Hit list." Shinichi whispered.

"His what? Speak up!" The three shouted.

"Hit list! Meaning I could be dead when he sees me holding hands with her daughter!" He repeated impatiently.

"What about holding hands?" Ran asked from his back letting him to hung up the phone and stand stiffly.

"Nothing. Let's go." He grabbed her hand and lead the way to her house, NERVOUSLY.

~to be continued

_A/N: What do you think is going to happen to our dear Metantei-san? ^^_

_Oh yeah, I dropped the idea of having a *cough* lemon *cough* on this fan fic. I can't write them apparently xD_

_A little play around. Hope you like it._

_It's been a month (I think) after my last update. I'm so sorry. I've been distracted always. So here's chapter 5 a bit cliffy but the next chapter won't be long ^^. So yeah, R&R. _

_See ya next time ^_^ _


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